Treatment for high blood pressure which has long depended on daily pills could soon move to just two injections a year, according to a new review in The Lancet that outlines late-stage therapies now in global trials.

The development, researchers say, could fundamentally change how hypertension is managed, particularly at a time when control rates remain alarmingly low despite decades of available medicines.

How The New Therapy WorksThe review in The Lancet highlights emerging treatments that act upstream in the disease pathway rather than simply lowering numbers.

One of the most advanced candidates, Zilebesiran, being developed by Roche and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, uses small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology to suppress the liver's production of angiotensinogen, a protein central to blood pressure regulation.

By dampening this pathway, the drug can reduce blood pressure for up to six months after a single injection. It is currently in phase 3 trials following promising mid-stage results.

Clinical trials of investigational agents have shown that one subcutaneous injection can lower systolic blood pressure for up to six months. Mid-stage findings, some also reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated meaningful and sustained reductions.

Source:Ndtv